ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MY PENN STATE vs. TEMPLE men’s basketball NCAA tournament prediction?

I never thought there would be a time when a Penn State vs. Temple game would be a highly anticipated one. Perhaps that highly anticipated is a bit much, but for the first time in 2010, I am really eager to watch the Nittany Lions. The first three games were essentially premeditated outcomes with the Youngstown State and Kent State games being uninspired routs for the Nittany Lions and the Alabama game basically being the opposite.

So, yes, we are in this weird place where Penn State is young and not displaying much fire or anything else and Temple is thinking that an upset is not an unreasonable outcome. Temple is 3-0 having beaten 2009 FCS (I-AA) champion Villanova, 2009 MAC champions Central Michigan and UConn. By the way, all I ever needed to know about Temple I learned from Kevin McGuire’s Examiner article. They are not the same team that has only scored 9 points against the Nittany Lions in the last 3 meetings. I expect Temple to be a challenge. A completely surmountable challenge mind you. I anticipate the score to be within 10 at the beginning of the 4th quarter.

Penn State has a 3:30 p.m. kickoff which will help the crowd be more into it and everyone on the “east” sideline should be more fired up than if it were at noon. The Owls is vulnerable against the run, so I expect the Nits to have their first good day running the ball. Who will be carrying the ball is to be determined, but if Evan Royster is going to get back on track, tomorrow is the day.

Joe Paterno’s undefeated streak against the Owls will continue:

Temple 16
PENN STATE 31